


Compromise and Alliance

by VidalsQueen



Series: Leather & Lace: Romance Week 2018 [2]
Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fake Marriage, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 15:44:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13662114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VidalsQueen/pseuds/VidalsQueen
Summary: The battle for Meridian is over and there were losses on all sides. The Nora needed assistance, but the Carja had no means to give it, and Aloy is only one person. So, she does what she needs to do to ensure that once Meridian is seen to, the Carja will go to assist the people of the Sacred Lands.Leather and Lace: Romance Week, Day 2Trope: Fake Marriage





	Compromise and Alliance

The battle for Meridian was finally over. Hades had been defeated and repairs to the city were underway. Many of the Carja were in high spirits, even though there had been much devastation and destruction. And many Nora hung around to help rebuild. This, due in large part to Avad’s offer of assistance once the elevator shafts had been repaired. Sona, of course, returned once the battle was over. She couldn’t stand being so far from the Sacred Lands. 

The War-Chief made her impact before leaving though, and Aloy was feeling the pressure of it wear at her daily. It hadn’t meant much in the beginning, but now that she was standing face-to-face with the reality of their shared decision, she couldn’t help but wonder what had possessed Sona, Avad or herself to come to this course of action.

The Nora had been decimated, losing most of their Hunters and Braves. They needed assistance, and more than what Aloy herself could provide. They were going to need the chance to rebuild, to grow, without the worry of other tribes coming in to take over their lands or finish what the Shadow Carja had started. Aloy had sat down with Avad and Sona to work out the details of a true alliance between their peoples. She knew this should be a decision left to the Matriarchs but they could hardly argue over a mutual decision between the War-Chief and the Anointed.

But now, Aloy stood staring at the reflection of her decision. Avad’s looking glass mocked her, told her this was stupid. How could she think to pull this off? She was a Nora, not some Carja noble. The white dress she wore was not the first Carja gown she’d been in, but it was the first time she’d worn the golden adornments on her shoulders, the gems around her neck. Her hand lifted shakily to the jewels and she skimmed her fingertips over the rough edges.

Goddess, why had she agreed to do this?

The door opened behind her. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. She needed to get her breathing, and her shaking limbs under control. She didn’t understand why she was so scared. She had faced down Thunderjaws. She had cleared Eclipse camps single-handedly. This should be a small thing in comparison. 

When she opened her eyes, the reflection in the glass bore another face. The one of her soon to be husband. He was smiling and it brought a tentative smile to her own lips. His hands came to her shoulders, rubbing some of her tension away. 

“I had thought the day of Itamen’s party that you could never look more beautiful. It seems I was wrong.” He placed a kiss on her bare neck.

She brought her hand up to cover his. There was no doubt that she adored this man, but she couldn’t wrangle the doubts that stirred in her mind. Avad had said that becoming Queen of the Sundom would not tie her to the palace, that she would still be free to pursue her own quest for knowledge, that this would be a formality only, but she knew deep in her heart that it wouldn’t be completely true. 

“Are you sure about this,” Aloy asked for what seemed like the millionth time.

“Aloy, I know that you are scared, but I promise, this is for show only. I will not ask more of you than what you are willing to give. I love you and I know that you love me, that’s really all that matters. I am not going to force you to marry me, though I would be happy if it were real. All the nobility need to see is you standing as their Queen. They won’t question the validity of it.” 

She turned to face him then. “Avad, I still don’t know what the future holds for me. There may be times when I am gone for months. At some point I am going to have to figure out how to restore Gaia and I still have a few other things…”

Avad cut off her words with a kiss. “And you will. Don’t worry.”

Aloy would never understand how Avad could be so understanding. This had to be difficult for him. A fake marriage to someone he loved. It made her heart swell with admiration and compassion. He may be the Sun-King, but he was completely selfless. He was willing to give her everything she wanted and needed and would only take what she could give him in the moment. 

“This is for the benefit of both tribes. The Nora will see this as the Goddess giving her blessing to the Carja and the Carja will see this as the Nora gaining the Sun’s favor. The Anointed and the Sun-God coming together to join forces.” He smiled at his own joke.

Aloy laughed, both of them found their roles and titles more than a little skewed but had found they were never able to sway others from thinking of them in this way. Varl still tried to bow every time she walked by, even though he knew she didn’t like it. The Sun-Priests still looked to Avad as an all-knowing form of the Sun’s perfection, even though he’d leaned on Aloy’s knowledge of events more than once. They did make quite the couple.

Avad took her hand. “What do you say? Ready to get this over with?”

Aloy nodded and they stepped onto the balcony overlooking Meridian. Cheers and shouts rose up from beneath them and Aloy was surprised to see many Nora dotted amongst the gathered Carja and Oseram. A Sun-Priest unrolled a scroll and began reading from it, but Aloy couldn’t focus on the words. Her heart was racing. This was becoming all too real. 

As the Sun-Priest’s words died off, Avad turned to face her. She knew what was coming, Avad had prepared her for it, but when his lips touched hers all other thoughts fled away. She felt her body rise to meet his and her lips answered the passion she felt pulsing in his kiss. 

Goddess help her, she thought to herself. Maybe being the Sun-Queen wouldn’t be so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> This does not denote an ending to Seeker of the Nora. I am simply indulging my love for Avad in these few stories. Just know there will be more of them to come :D


End file.
